Page 195 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883

RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AQRNCY FOR 1880-81. 11

PART II.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TIIE POLITICAL AGENCY,
MUSCAT, FOR YEAR 1879-80.
Political.—The official year 1879-80 ended peacefully, and nothing
more than the usual intcrtiibal quarrels had occurred to disturb the
tranquillity of the country. In May a body of 200 of the Beni-boo-
Ali arrived at Muscat from Soor by j*.a, with the object apparently of
coercing1 Ilis Highness Scyyid Toorkee, the tribe having been misled by
exaggerated rumours regarding the detention of Esa-bin-Rashid, El
Meskeree, who bud been prevented landing in 'Om&n from suspicion of
his having brought supplies of money and arms from Zauzibar to assist
Saleh-bin-Ali in a projected rising against His Highness. The suspicion
proving groundless, Esa-biu-Raskid was allowed to proceed to bis home,
and on the way met another party of the Beni-boo-Ali cn route to
Muscat, whom he turned back.
In August disquieting rumours reached His Highness that Hamood-
bin-Said, El Jabafee, intended marching on Muscat and raiding the
Ratinuh, but it soou appeared that his object was to attack the Awamir
tribe, which he did near Kuriateyn with a loss of six killed on each side.
In the same month Scyyid Fc-ysal-bia-Toorkce was appointed Wali of
Semail, and Scyyid Fahd, his younger brother, Wali of Burka. His
Highness Soyyid Toorkee also proceeded to Burka for a change, and thence
visited Semail, returning to Muscat on the 10th September.
Shaikh Hamood shortly after again attacked the Awamir; this time
with a slight loss to himself and none to his enemy. His following
then dispersed. In September a feud arose between the Hishim and the
Beni-boo-Hassan tribes in Jaalan, owing to the latter having given
shelter to a murderer and refused his surrender. In this quarrel the
surrounding tribes soon became more or less involved, and it threatened
to assume wider proportions. The Beni-boo-Hassan having^ received ft
check from the Jenebeh, called on their allies, the Harth and Hejrieyeen,for
assistance, but this proceeding was met by a warning from the Gh£ffirees
that any coalition of the Hin&wis would lead to general hostilities, and
the Beni-boo-Hassan therefore refrained. The mediation of Shaikh
Salehbin-Ali was suggested, but does not appear to have had any result.
The indemnity, amounting to 10,000 dollars for losses sustaiued by
British traders at Muttrah in 1877, and which had been demanded
rateably from Shaikh Saleh and the offending tribes, by notification in
the previous January, was to have been levied in September, and the
Sultan had begun to take measures accordingly, but in October His
Highness received a proposal from the tribes to pay an increased tax of
one dollar per bahr on all dates exported until the amount was made up.
This His Highness accepted, and the arrangement was ultimately sano*
tioned by Government
In November Seyyid Feysal was appointed Wali of Nezwain super­
session of Seyyid Hamad-bin-Seif, Al-boo-Saidee, who bad held the poet
for many years. Opposition on the part of Hamad was folly expected,